Tesla to set up “tent” to make more Model Y

Tesla is building another tent structure at the Fremont plant to produce more Model Y. The end of this month will see a major upgrade including a short shutdown of the factory. Meanwhile, there are contradictory data on the number of coronavirus infections at Tesla.

But first to the Model Y: Rumours started already at the beginning of June that Tesla wanted to buy another “Giga Press” – now it seems clear where Tesla wants to use the big press for body parts. As can be seen from several registrations on the website of the city of Fremont, Tesla is planning several modifications and extensions at the “General Assembly 4.5”. This name was used for the tent structure where the Model 3 was built from 2018 on. Since this March, the assembly of the Model Y is taking place there.

In the course of the “4.5 Expansion Rev 1”, a second tent is now apparently to be erected directly next to the existing structure, in which a further assembly line for the Model Y is to be set up. The new “Giga Press” should also be used here. Elon Musk had already indicated a few months ago that a single component would replace a two-part cast aluminium structure in the rear of the Model Y. According to reports, the new press would be able to do this.

After Tesla benefited in the second quarter mainly from the good production figures of Gigafactory 3 near Shanghai, the Californians are now preparing for an expansion of US production – in addition to the planned Cybertruck Gigafactory in Texas or Oklahoma. The Model Y for customers on the East Coast is also to be built there later. Until then, however, all Model Y will continue to come from Fremont.

As Electrek writes, the production in Fremont will even be interrupted briefly at the end of July to carry out modifications in the hall and the first tent. Besides some production machines, the conditions for the workers in the tent will be improved.

The working and production conditions have already been criticised earlier, and in times of the Corona pandemic, they are of particular importance. If there are problems or mass infections, the factory could be closed or, in cases independent of Tesla, tightened exit restrictions could be imposed in the county.

However, it is unclear how strongly the coronavirus has affected Tesla. While an e-mail to employees mentions fewer than ten cases, Electrek cites internal data from the manufacturer, that more than 130 Tesla employees have tested positive and hundreds of test results are still pending. A total of 1,550 Tesla employees have had contact with infected persons.

electrek.co (Model Y), electrek.co (Corona)